Amidst the scarcity of food and essential goods in Santiago de Cuba, a Catholic priest has unveiled a traditional coffee substitute known as "poor man's coffee," crafted from platanillo seeds. Father Leandro Naun Hung, dedicated to empowering rural communities in Santiago de Cuba during the ongoing economic crisis, shared this lesser-known tradition on Facebook. While unfamiliar to many, it is common in the region due to the lack of conventional coffee.
The video features a discussion with a local resident, who explains how the plant called "platanillo" serves as a substitute coffee, embraced by many locals in challenging times. She described the process: the platanillo fruit is collected, dried, roasted, and ground into a powder that acts as an alternative to regular coffee.
She noted that this practice has been passed down through generations and that consuming platanillo coffee has been not only safe but also believed to offer health benefits. "The plant's root can be used to make medicinal tea for the kidneys," she explained. "I'm 54 years old, and for as long as I can remember, my family has been making platanillo coffee. Everyone around here drinks it," she added.
A Symbol of Resilience and Adaptation
Although "poor man's coffee" does not replicate the flavor or aroma of conventional coffee beans, residents of Santiago de Cuba and surrounding areas mix it with the limited amount of coffee they can purchase in stores, stretching their supply and maintaining a cherished part of their daily life.
For many locals, this alternative is not only a symbol of creativity and resilience but also a testament to the community's adaptability in the face of scarcity. Some view this and other examples as clear indicators of the deepening poverty in Cuba, which hits rural communities especially hard.
However, the consumption of platanillo coffee is not confined to Santiago de Cuba. In 2023, the news portal Cubanet published a report detailing its presence in Holguín as well. The portal described the preparation process, highlighting its similarity to the method used for brewing authentic coffee beans.
A Contrast with Global Coffee Recognition
While islanders resort to unconventional methods to quench their desire for a sip of "the black beverage of the white gods," genuine Cuban coffee is celebrated and savored elsewhere in the world as one of the finest. The recent list of top coffee drinks by TasteAtlas places Cuban coffee at the pinnacle, rated 4.6 out of 5 stars.
This internationally esteemed ranking positions Cuban coffee above 62 renowned coffees from countries with a rich tradition of coffee trade and consumption, such as India, Italy, and Vietnam.